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Tuesday, 21 July 2009

Can storage be stylish?

We love celebrating the inherent style in cycling but when it comes to storing your bike, things get more difficult. Anyone who lives in London will be familiar with the problem of bike storage - firstly there isn't enough of it, and secondly what there is, is pretty basic and hardly easy on the eye.But things are changing and there are some fabulous storage solutions out there, including turning your bike into a work of art.Rather than hiding your bike away in a garage or shed, or leaving it cluttering up your living room, mount it on your wall with one of these amazing bike racks. Perhaps not the most accessible of storage solutions but certainly a talking point at dinner parties...

This Cycloc storage rack isn't just practical - it has actually won awards for its design. Saving space and showing off your bike to its best advantage - what's not to love? Well, apart from the price. This little green number, which is available in the UK, will set you back nearly £60. But for an uncluttered living room and a bike rack which even ELLE Decoration has commended as looking like a sculpture in itself, it could be a small price to pay. And for those who don't want to shell out, everyone's favourite budget superstore Lidl is offering wall mounted bike racks for under £20 in selected stores. For the more traditional out there who would rather not have a bike dripping oil and mud down their nice clean living room walls, there's always this good old-fashioned garden shed from Shedstore.It's not just home storage that can be a challenge. If you cycle to work, you will be familiar with the rusting, aged and easily-moved bits of metal most employers call 'bike racks'. Get on your boss's case to replace them with one of these Cyclepods. Not only are they far more secure and easier on the eye than a traditional bike rack, but they are made of sustainable and recyclable materials. Some 12,500 aluminium cans go into each pod making them both chic and environmental, two of our very favourite things. Sadly, blue skies and beaches are not included.

A couple of thoughts:We have a gravity stand to hold our fancy bikes in the living room as art. This is good because it doesn't require permanent attachment to the wall studs; essential if you're renting, but useful any time.

I find that office rack to be a bit exposed. My husband's bike rack at work is dangerous - even with a surveillance camera the thieves cut a hole in the chain-link cage and pulled the bike rack through it, selecting the bikes they wanted and staying safely off-camera. My office bike cage has a wall which I'm convinced keeps the thieves guessing as to whether it's worth their effort. See a photo at the bottom of this post.

I wish I had an answer Abby! I'd love to hang my bike on the wall but it's heavier than dark matter and my flatmate would go mental if she found oil and mud on the walls. In fact she'd prefer the bike to be kept outside, but I don't want it to get stolen or rusty, so at the moment we compromise and I keep it in my room.